


Stolen Identity

by dreamsofspike



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-11
Updated: 2011-09-11
Packaged: 2017-10-23 15:28:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/251955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamsofspike/pseuds/dreamsofspike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the following prompt -- How I Met Your Mother - Greg/Barney - "That monster in a suit raped my little brother. Then chopped his hair off just to mock him. Barney doesn't remember any of that. He still thinks he lost his virginity to Rhonda."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stolen Identity

Barney’s friends always loved it when his brother came to visit.

James was not only friendly and hilarious and just generally a lot of fun – but he was also a means to finding out more about the secret history Barney tried so hard to conceal from all of them.

When Barney rose from his seat to go to the bar and get another drink, he was barely out of earshot before Marshall was leaning across the table, eagerly searching James’ face as he spoke in a hushed, secretive tone.

“So, when you two were growing up…?”

But James wasn’t paying the slightest attention to Marshall. His eyes were wide and troubled as they followed his little brother; and before anyone could ask what was wrong, he was on his feet and stalking toward the place where Barney stood at the bar. The others watched uneasily; they couldn’t see any cause for alarm. There was a tall man in a dark blue suit talking to Barney, and Barney looked irritated and edgy, but didn’t seem to be in any actual trouble.

That was why they all found it so startling when James wasted no time on words, but simply pushed the stranger away with both hands on his chest in a forceful blow that caused him to stumble backward. In the uncomfortable stillness that suddenly filled the room, the exchange that followed was easily audible.

“James… I’ve got this,” Barney insisted, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder, a puzzled frown on his face. “This guy’s not worth it, okay?”

James didn’t acknowledge Barney’s words. He was seething, his fists clenched at his sides as he stared down the other man, who was now smirking at him, clearly pleased with the reaction he’d gained. The group watching from their booth had no idea what might have caused that reaction, however. They listened in wary fascination as James bit off his words in a tone of menace and fury.

“You stay the hell away from him!” he snarled.

“Really, it’s okay,” Barney repeated, with an effort turning his brother toward him and meeting his eyes. “I’m over it – over _her_. This jerk-off can have her for all I care, because she has just lost out on the awesomeness that is me. Okay? Just… let it go.”

James’ dark eyes were anguished, and he swallowed hard, shaking his head slowly, as he echoed his little brother’s words in a disbelieving whisper. “ _Over_ it…?”

Barney seemed bewildered by his brother’s reaction to the situation. “Yeah,” he confirmed with a slow nod. “It was years ago, bro. It’s in the past. Let’s not start something here. Like I said… he’s not worth it.”

“Yeah. Relax, man. It’s not that big a deal,” the stranger interjected, a cool, mocking smile focused on James. He glanced toward Barney, holding his gaze for a moment before heading toward the door. “Catch you later, kid.”

Barney tensed at the disparaging tone, something akin to recognition flashing in his eyes for just an instant – before it was gone, as he was forced to focus his attention on holding back his brother, who seemed suddenly intent on going after the stranger again. He angrily shook Barney’s hands off him before stalking furiously back toward the booth.

“James… what the _hell_ , dude?” Barney sat down beside him, eyes wide with surprise and confusion. “What _was_ that?”

“Nothing, Barney. I just… can’t stand to think of what that creep… did to you.”

Barney rolled his eyes, glancing uncomfortably at the others before answering. “If it hadn’t been him, it’d have been someone else. She was nothing but a well-disguised slut who’d have eventually left anyway, and the two of them did me a _favor_ by making me see it. If it wasn’t for them, you would not see the awesomeness before you that you see today.”

His bright smile belied the troubled expression in his eyes… and no one really felt much like partying anymore. It was only a few minutes before Barney excused himself, claiming that he was tired and wanted to go home. James offered to walk out with him to hail a cab… and strangely, Barney made no protest.

When James returned to the table a few minutes later, Barney’s friends dropped their hushed conversation immediately and very obviously. James gave them a weary look, sighing as he rested his head in one hand, his elbow braced on the table in front of him.

“So… what was all that about?” Ted cautiously ventured.

“Was that something to do with… Shannon, was it? The girl he was in love with before?” Robin frowned with concern.

James stared down at the table. “Yeah,” he replied, his voice flat and heavy.

Lily sounded worried and thoughtful as she joined the conversation. “So… that must be the guy that stole her, right? Can’t remember what Barney said his name was…”

“Greg Masters.” James practically growled the name. “And he did a lot worse than steal Barney’s girlfriend.” He looked up, clearly weighing a difficult decision as he met each of their eyes in turn. “Does he come in here often?”

“I don’t think so,” Marshall replied, frowning. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before.”

“If that creep comes in here again after I’m gone… guys… you can’t let him anywhere near Barney.” James’ voice carried a trembling note of urgency. “And under no circumstances can you let Barney… leave alone, or… or be somewhere where Greg can get to him…”

“What are you talking about?” Robin’s eyes were wide with alarm, and she shook her head slowly in confusion. “You think that guy might actually… _hurt_ Barney?”

“He already has.” James was quiet for a long moment before looking up to the others again. “You can’t say a word to Barney about this. He doesn’t… doesn’t know it happened… but… I think you need to know, so you can… protect him, when I’m not here.”

The others waited anxiously for him to continue. This was the last place they had expected this evening to go.

“He didn’t just steal Barney’s girlfriend. That was the least of it – insult to injury and all that.” James drew in a deep, shaky breath, struggling to get out the words he was trying to speak. “That… that _monster_ in his perfect, pricy suit… _raped_ my little brother.”

Stunned silence fell over the table in the wake of the hushed, horrifying words. No one could find the strength to speak, trying desperately just to come to terms with what they’d just heard. It didn’t seem that it could be possible.

 _No…_ Robin shook her head, blinking back tears. _No, not Barney…_

“Barney… went to confront him about Shannon. He… didn’t think anything of being alone in the creep’s apartment. He… he was really… trusting, back then. Even after… what happened with Shannon. I think he still thought he could… talk either Greg or Shannon into… into _not_ breaking his heart like that…”

Tears streaked James’ face as he remembered his little brother before the incident that changed him forever.

“He… he never expected… but… Greg was bigger… stronger… held him down and kept telling him how… how _pretty_ he was…” There was disgust and hatred in James’ trembling voice. “He called him all kinds of names… degraded him... his… his body… and his spirit. He… he _broke_ him.”

The others were all emotional by this point as well. Robin’s face was stained with silent tears as she listened to the horrifying tale. Realization struck her, and she murmured her thoughts before she could stop herself.

“That’s why he… cut his hair. So he wouldn’t be… pretty, anymore…”

“Probably,” James agreed, sounding utterly exhausted just from the telling of the awful story. “But… he doesn’t know that. And… he didn’t cut his hair. That… that _animal_ did that first.” He stared at the table, missing the appalled horror on the others’ faces as he continued. “He did it just to further degrade and violate him – just to completely strip him of any dignity or power.”

“Then… that’s why he keeps it short, now. Why he wears only suits, and worries so much about his image. He’s… subconsciously obsessed with taking his power back.” Ted frowned, his fingers pressed against his eyes as he drew in a shaky breath, shaking his head and raising his eyes to meet James’. “How can he _not know_? It’s not the sort of thing you forget…”

“It is if you can’t handle it,” Lily pointed out softly, her words almost a sob. “It is if… if you simply can’t process it, and… and repress it completely.”

James nodded soberly. “Exactly. He doesn’t remember any of it. He thinks that Greg just stole Shannon from him, and that he lost his virginity to Rhonda the man-maker a few months later. He doesn’t have any idea why he… why he does the things he does now… why he… feels the need to go out… every single night… and… and…”

James couldn’t finish, lowering his head, his shoulders shaking with quiet sobs as he thought of the pitiful desperation with which Barney seemed to always need to prove himself. The others sat there, sobered by this horrifying revelation, which shed new light on Barney’s promiscuity and other reckless behavior.

“Self-destruct.” Robin finished James’ statement, looking up with stricken, fearful eyes at each of the others in turn. “That’s what he’s doing. He doesn’t even know why, but he’s… self-destructing.”

“Yeah. I know it. I just… don’t know what to do about it,” James admitted. “I think… it’d be better for him if he _did_ remember – because… at least he could _deal_ with it then…” He paused, looking up at the others with urgency in his eyes. “But you can’t say anything to him. I don’t know what it’d do to him to remember now, after all this time… and if he thought that _you_ all knew – it’d kill him.”

The others agreed to keep quiet about it, and finally, slowly made their way out of the bar and toward home, while James headed for Barney’s apartment, eager to make sure that his little brother was safe.

He used his key to open the door, not surprised to find it dark and quiet inside. Barney didn’t even know why, but he had to be traumatized, utterly exhausted, after the confrontation with his attacker in the bar.

“Barney?” James called softly.

He wouldn’t have been surprised to find that his brother couldn’t sleep.

He knocked softly on the bedroom door, then entered cautiously when there was no response. His eyes gradually adjusted to the pitch black of the room, and he noticed with dismay the shivering of the blankets on Barney’s bed, and the quiet, harsh sound of his shallow, rapid breathing.

“Barney?” he cautiously murmured.

The younger man jumped, sitting up in the bed to stare at his brother through wide, shell-shocked eyes – then relaxed slightly when he realized who it was. He pulled the blankets around him tighter, turning his head away in shame. James went to the bed and sat down slowly on the side of it, reaching out a gentle hand to rest on Barney’s arm.

“Come here,” he gently urged him, settling against the headboard and tugging his little brother closer. “Come here, Barney…”

Barney allowed himself to be maneuvered into his brother’s embrace, as James wrapped his arms around him and held him close, hoping that he was offering Barney some sense of security and protection.

“I had a… a dream…” Barney softly confessed, his voice trembling violently, as is his slender body in James’ arms.

“You did?” James was careful not to lead him, not to plant anything in Barney’s mind that he might not already have been aware of.

Barney just nodded, and James could feel the slight motion against his chest. Suddenly, Barney looked up at him through wide, stricken eyes, glittering with unshed tears. His voice was hoarse, pleading for a lie in place of the answer he already knew was true.

“It… wasn’t just a dream, was it? It… it happened…”

James swallowed hard, aching for his brother, and held him tight, readying himself for the fallout of his answer.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah, it did, Barney.”

Barney stared at him for a moment, the pieces of his façade visibly crumbling, as he collapsed against his big brother again, clinging for dear life as his body shook with sobs. James held back his own emotions as much as possible, trying to be strong for Barney, just holding him tight and murmuring words that he hoped were soothing in his ear as he rocked slowly back and forth.

“It’s going to be okay, Barney… you’re safe now… it’s gonna be all right…”

He knew it would be a long time, if ever, before his little brother would believe him – but he was willing to do whatever it took to make sure that his words remained truth.


End file.
